Pneumatic action for musical instruments.



E. T. TURNEY.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1908.

Patented July 23, 1912.

. XI): W. a {NM vi x Q a UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. 'IUBNEY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ARTISTA PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF MILAN, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOB MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed September 21, 1908. Serial No. 454,099.

- To all whom it mag concern 'Be' it known that I, EUGENE T. TUBNEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island Actions 'for Musical Instruments, of .which I the followingFis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatlc actlon's for musical lnstruments 1n which-the pneumatlc action is'controlled by a music sheet or record', each action being 'coinpletefjin itself whereby each of the piano' actionswill be controlled 'byan individual pneumatic action'a'nd which pneumaticf actions are 'adaptedto be supported by and'have communication with a wind chc'sto'r'trunk, and the primary object of the invention isto provide an improved means of attaching the. pneumatic actions to the-wind chest or trunk.

A; further object is to provide an improvedform of'valve box or primary pneumatic, i'which is separate from the" main pneumatic of each action, and improved means 1 for securing tlle valve box to the windf trunk and the main pneumatic whereby the valve box may be readily and independently removed without interfering with any; of the other partsof the pneumatic action or' any of the adjacent actions.

A further object is to provide an imroved device of this character which will he simple, durable and-cheap'in construction and eflective and eflicient in operation.

Tot-he attainment of these ends and the acomplishmentof other new and useful ob jcets as will appear, the inventionconsists in the features of noveltyv in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several part's hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, illustrating the embodiment of the invention and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved device of'thi's character constructed in accordance with the-principles of this invention attached to a, wind chest or trunk and showing'the, latter iii-section, Fig. 2 is-a detail elevation-of the end ofthe valve box or primary pneumatic which stands adjacent the wall of the wind trunk. Fig. 3

. is a left hand end elevation of Fig. 1 with the rimary pneumatic removed. Fig. 4: is a 'si e elevation of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a left hand end elevat ion of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the shoe for connecting the pneumatic action to the piano action. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a, detail view' similar to Fig. 1 showing the pneumatic case partlyremoved from its recess.

Referring more particularly to the drawing/and in the present exemplification of the inventionfthe numeral 10 designates the wind chest or trunk from which the air is ,to be exhausted in any desired or well known manner. Supported by the chest 10, preferably by the lower side thereof is the main or striking pneumatic 11 which is secured to the chest preferably by gluing one of the members of' the pneumatic l1 thereto and this member 12 projects beyond the front wall 13 of the wind chest for any desired or suitable distance. When the pneumatic 11 is secured to the wind chestthe portion 14 thereof which projects beyond the wall 13 of the chest cooperates with said wall to form an acute angle or an angle less than a right angle.

A valve box or primary pneumatic 15 is provided with the necessary ports or pasthat the wall -17 thereof will engage said portion while the wall 16 will stand adjacent the wall 13 of the Wind chest. The valve box lo'may be secured to the wind chest in any desired or suitable manner,preferably by means of a fastening device 18 1 such as a screw or'the like, which is provided. with a head 19. The valve box is provided with a recess opening through the, outer wall thereof and the'fastening device is adapted to pass through the wall Cami:

16 of the valve box so that the head 19 thereof will be seated within the recess 20, the extremity of the fastening device 18 entering the wall of the wind chest, so that when the fastening device 18 1s tightened to craw the valve box 15 agamst the wind chest, the projecting portion 1a of the pneu- .emplification of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, is provi led witha plurality of apertures 22, 23, m the rear wall 1.6 thereof, which are adapted to reg-is! r respectively with passages 24:, 25, in then wind chest 10.

The passage 2 f has commuhicationwith the aperture 22 and also has comn'mnication ith the pneumatic 11 through an aperture 26 in the member 12 of the pneumatic while the aperture 23 communicates directly with the inside of the wind chest 10.

The pneumatic 11 is secured to the wind chest so that the large end thereof will be disposed. below the valve box 15 and toward the front of the piano or musical instrument and the smaller end of the pneumatic will be disposed adjacent 'the sticker 27 of the piano action, which is supported from'the hinge raii by means of the link v28 in ordinary and well known manner. The same 29 is provided for connecting the pneumat' i action to the piano action. This shoe 29 is provided with a bifurcated extremity 30 having a'reduced slotted portion 31 extending from the base'of the bifurcation and into the body portioirof the shoe so that the arms of the bifurcated portion may be slightly separated without the danger of breaking the arms. This shoe 29 is attached to sticker 2'7 by forcing the bifurcated. poi 30 over the sticker preferably adjacent ne i. ottom thereof and may be secured the o in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of glue. By providing the slot 31 in the shoe itwill be apparent that the bifurcated extremity will serve as a clamp for holding the sleeve in position until the glue sets. The opposite extremity of the shoe 29 is also bifurcated as at 32 and the extremities of the arms of thelbi'furcation are preferably rounded outwardly as at 33. v

Secured to and depending from the mov able member of the pneumatic 11 is a screw or bolt 31 which is preferably located at substantially the longitudinal. center of the member, and this screw or bolt is provided with a threaded extremity 35 adapted to .the mechanism, the rounded portions receive a nut or collar 36'. The screw or bolt is adapted to enter the bifurcation 32in the shoe 29 when the main pneumatic l l is placed in position and to readily pass out of the bifurcation to permit the action to be readily and quickly removed without inter fering with. any of the other portions of 3?) of the walls of the bifurcation serving to direct the member 34. into the bifurcation, This bolt or member 3+. is of a length to p rmit the piano action to be ope ated by the piano keys through the mediumof the capstan 37 in the usual manner so as to provide a sufficient space between. the top of. the shoe 29 and the movable member of the pneumatic to permit the shoe to move under tlu influence of the capstan 37 without moving the movable member of the pneumatic, whereby the piano action may be operated either by the pneumatic action or the keys whenever desired, so that the hammer 38 will strike the strings of the instrument to sound the notes. If desired suitable washer 39 of felt or the like may be provided between the nut or collar 36 and the adjacent portion of the shoe 29.

The valve box or primary pneumatic 15 may be connected to the tracker board of the instrument in the ordinary and well known manner through the medium of a tubular member 40, which leads into the valve box and projects beyond one of the walls thereof and to which the respective flexible tube; leading from the tracker board may be connected.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4: and 5 of the drawing, the aperture 23 has connection with the wind chest 10 through the wall 13 thereof and a passage 41 leads through the bottom or wall 17 of the valve box and has comnnmication with the'main pneumatic 11 through an opening 42 in the member 12 thereof and which opening is preferably located beyond the front wall 13 of the wind chest. In this exemplification of the invention additional packing 43 maybe disposed between the wall 17.01? the valve box and the member 12 of the main pneumatic.

l/Vith this improved construction it will be apparent that the.valve box or primary pneumatic may oe readily removed without detaching the main pneumatic and may as readily be replaced in position. l'Vhen the valve box is secured in position, the portion 14 of the main pneumatic which projects beyond the front wall 13 of the wind chest, will yield sufiiciently to conform to the wall- 17 of the valve box without becoming detached from the wind" chest.

In order thatQthe invention might be fully understood, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus described,

' but has What I claim as new is I,

1. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumatic secured to the wind chest, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumatic, separate therefrom, and including a valve disposed to operate horizontally andtransversely with relation to the main pneumatic, and means for independently and removably securing the controlling pneumat c, in position.

2. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumaticsecured to the wind chest, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumat-ic, separate therefrom, and including a valve disposed to operate horizontally and transversely with relation to the main pneumatic, and means for independently and removably securing the controlling pneumatic to the wind chest, said controlling pneumatic having direct communication with the wmdchest and with the main pneumatic.

3. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumatic secured to the wind chest with a portion of the pneumatic projecting beyond one wall of the chest and cooperating with said wall to form an angle, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumatic separate therefrom, and including a valve disposed to operate horizontally and transversely with relation to the main pneumatic, said controlling pneumatic engaging the portion of the main pneumatic projecting beyond the wall of the chest, and also the said Wall of the chest, and means for independently and removably securing the controlling pneumatic to the chest, said controlling pneumatic havingdirect communi-\ cation with the main pneumatic and with the wind chest.

4. In a pneumatic action for musicalinstruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumatic secured to the wind chest with a portion of the pneumatic projecting beyond one wall of the chest and coiiperat: ing with said wall to form an angle, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumatic separate therefrom and including a valve dispdsed to operate horizontally, said con trolling pneumatic engaging the portion of the main pneumatic projecting beyond the wall of the chest, and also the said wall of the chest, means for independently and removably securing the controlling pneumatic to the chest, said controlling pneumatic hav ing direct communication with the main pneumatic and with the wind chest, and packing material disposed between the cooperating faces of the parts through which the passages extend.

5. In a pneumatic action for musical. instruments, the combination of a wind chest,

l a main pneumatic secured to the chest with a portion thereof projecting beyond one wall of the chest and cooperating therewith to form an angle, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumatic including a valve box, two of the adjacent walls of the valve box cooperating to form an angle of a greater degree than the degree of the angle formed by the wall of the chest and the cooperating portion of the main pneumatic, and means for forcing the angle formed by the said walls of the valve box into the angle formed by the wall of the wind chest and. the project-ing cooperating portion of the main pneumatic, and for securing the valve box in position.

6. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumatic secured to the chest with a portion thereof projecting beyond one wall of the chest and cooperating therewith to form anangle, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumatic including a valve box, two of the adjacent walls of the valve box cooperating to form an an le of a greater degree than the degree of the angle formed portion of the main pneumatic, and means for forcing the angle formed by the said walls of the valve box into the angle formed by the wall of the wind chest and the projecting cooperating portion of the main pneumatic and for independently and removably securing chest.

7. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumatic secured thereto with a portion thereof project-ing beyond one wall of the chest and cooperating therewith to form an angle, a controlling pneumatic for the main pneumatic including a valve box, two of the walls of the valve box cooperating to form an angle of a different degree than thedegree of the angle formed by the main pneumatic and the wall of the wind chest, and means for removably and independently securing the valve box to the wind chest and for forcing the greater angle within the smaller angle to cause the two said angles to coincide.

8. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest, a main pneumatic projecting beyond one wall of the chest and cooperating with the wall to form an angle, and a valve box, two adjacent walls, of which cooperate to form an angle of greater degree than the normal degree of the first recited angle, the greater angle being forced into the smaller angle.

9. In a. pneumatic action for musical instruments, the combination of a wind chest,

wall of the chest and cooperating with the wall to form an angle, a valve box two adby the wall of the chest and theco'ciperating the valve box to the winda main pneumatic projecting beyond one jacent walls of which eoiiperate to forin an angle of greater degree than the normal degree of the first recited angle,'the greater angle being forced into the smaller angle, and means securing the parts together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

EUGENE T. TURNEY.

'Witnesses:

LEE HICAUPKE, C. A. LIITT.

addressing the-Commissioner of Patents I Washington; D. C. W 

